Condor have produced these amazing one off custom bikes for their star track riders and olympic hopefuls, Andy Tennant and Ed Clancy. Claire has very kindly hooked me up with some images to share of the beautifully painted frames, with Andy opting for the stealth bomber number, and Ed riding the dream (or nightmare) inspiring 'Scream' by Edvard Munch!

The lush paint-work is the handicraft of the talented Chris Grove, ofPerformance Race Art, who has undertaken two very diofferent design briefs and delivered truly unique bikes for top-class riders. Check out their website for the insane custom designs they produce. I have to say im a fan of the Clancy's 'Munch' bike, just because its so unique and off the wall, but also its executed really well!

This past weekend I had the pleasure of linking with Paul of one of my favourite cycling blogs... "still searching". As a York inhabitant, Paul promised a great route in and around the York/Harrogate area, and goodness did he deliver. The ride was a gentle 78km affair, peppered with silent country lanes looking beautiful dressed in burnt leaves, radiating in the chilly sunshine. I haven't had a sunstancial ride in the UK since the start of august due to being on the road with work, so this route was extra special in that it felt somewhat of a homecoming for me. I tested myself a little on the climbs, each time having chris dish out some punishment on the primes.

The cafe stops were incredible, Home Farm was an absolute treat, and not to forget arriving at the stunning bridge in Knaresborough ready for a caffeine hit.

Chris, Julia and Paul provided some great company, showing me what northern road cycling (and a little bit of cross thinking back to those bridleways) has to offer. It was the kind of ride that I had in mind when getting the Acciaio - those long leisurely days exploring in the saddle, with good banter amongst mates and long winding deserted (wind-free) roads!

I would thoroughly recommend trying out the route on a nice clear day, the scenery was breathtaking. York is pretty accessible from Kings Cross via East Coast trains (remember to book a bike space on their website). Feel free to download the course data from the garmin information below, pop in some course points and head off into this lovely lush northern hinterland.

The Japanese 'Crunky Popjoy' sweets did not fare too well at the cafe stop

I reviewed some products from sports nutrition company multipower before (here), and have recently taken delivery of some new products aimed at cyclists, ideal for the sportive rider and those looking to fuel long rides and training sessions. Up this time were a selection of pre, during and post workout bars, in addition to a refuel powder to aid training session recovery.

Hi-energy Bar

First up is the 'does what it says on the tin' Multicarbo Hi-Energy Bar, tested in both lemon and chocolate varieties. Im often shocked at how I stuff various energy bars into my mouth during long efforts, only to take a cursory glance at the ingredients tab after. So many times these bars are laden with fat, whereas these bars contain only a mere 1.9g of fat, making them ideal for cyclists looking to curtail their fat intake. Second on the shock factor what not only the bars had a nice low fat content, but that they managed to pack in 30 grams of carbohydrates and 6.8 grams of protein (perfect for the start of the muscle repair process). The bars are quite thin in composition, and a regular size, comparable to say a small mars bar, so for them to be able to pack this nutritional content in seems pretty impressive.

The lemon flavor tasted zingy, but not in an unpleasant way. It was palatable and chewy, but I suspect might be a little tougher to the bite on freezing days. The lemon bar also boasted a dose of caffeine, enough to provide a little emergency zip when the tank is running dry. The chocolate bar is also about an 8 out of t10 on the chewiness scale, and boasts the rather exotic guarana in place of the caffeine kick. I plan to carry a lemon bar for the start of a half marathon.The bars are fairly economic at 25 bars for £30, and considering the ratio of carbs/fat and added kick factors I think this is a pretty decent price that I would be inclined to pay. I teamed one of these bars with an energy gel on rides of around 100km.

Energy+Fruit Bar

Next up is a similar looking bar to the above in packaging, but placing itself as a fruit bar alternative. The flavors I tested were apple and banana. I must confess to hating the banana bar, but then I hate bananas in general, so I wouldn't read much into that. Needless to say the banana bars were swiftly dispatched to the Rowland brothers, where they were consumed happily.The Apple bar was a sticky and chewy type fructose laden treat, tasting quite sweet and sugary, perfect when I needed a quick energy spike. With slightly more carbs per bar than above at 34 grams, the only tradeoff is a slightly higher fat content (still relatively low at 2.1grams).

The consistency was chewy to the extent that I wouldn't want a frozen bar of this on a cold december ride, but I suppose stashing a jersey pocket might keep it edible due to the bodyheat factor.

Recovery Bar

Im not so keen on recovery bars as a general rule. I guess because I found what works for me, that being a particular brand of whey protein mixed with skimmed milk. I usually only consume this after 2 or more hard hours in the saddle, if I happen to be riding or running the next day.

However I tested these bars on three occasions, after a long run and twice after some hard turbo sessions prior to leaving for New Zealand. With only 13 grams of protein available per bar to aid in muscle recovery and body recuperation, I presume that the addition of 18 grams of carbohydrates is a conscious decision by multipower, believing this provides an optimum ratio of nutrition for recovery. Now I am no expert in this field (far, far from it dear readers), but I have to admit they did stave off a significant amount of soreness when training the next day. I took the bar around 15 minutes after finishing a session, along with a large glass of 0.1% milk.The bar is coated in chocolate, but inside the chocolate flavor filling is quite malty tasting, and upon chewing for a long time doesn't exactly break down in the most pleasant way. Thats not unique though, as Im yet to find a protein bar that didn't break down in the manner, hence why I consumed mine along with the milk, in order to aid actually getting it eaten!

Re-Charge Drink

Lastly is the thrifty-ly priced re-charge drink, coming in at £12.50 per tub (around 14 servings). The re-charge drink is a post workout recovery drink shying away from the traditional chocolate-type milkshake whey based drinks of other brands. The drink comes in orange flavor, and tasted a bit like a malty robinsons orange when mixed with a pint of water. Although slightly chalky and malty, the drink goes down easy enough, and isn't the most unpleasant taste around.

Again Multipower impressed me with the inclusion of a plethora of BCAA as they do in their energy drink I tested last time around. Branch Chain Amino Acids help aid body tissue growth and cell regeneration, in lamens terms, promoting growth and repair of the body. Pepto-pro protein is included to aid muscle recovery after strenuous strength sessions, with 8.3 grams of protein yielded per serve. I have incorporated this into my recovery regime after gym sessions midweek, and was impressed at a calorie value of just 169kcal per drink (my milk based protein drink is around 3 times this!). This makes an ideal drink for those looking to aid recovery whilst watching their calorie intake (hey its the off-season and we all need a little help in that area come christmas indulgence time!)

All products tested (and more) are available to purchase at Multipower